A rationale for outdoor education, 36 annotated references, (dated 1972-1981), glossary, and recommendations are included in this study of the educational relevance of outdoor education. Information is organized around three questions: (1) Does outdoor education promote a more solid grasp of the concepts than a similar environmental curriculum taught in a traditional classroom setting? (2) Does outdoor education provide and promote an increased concept of self-awareness and self-esteem along with the other areas of the affective domain in the individual student? (3) What standard evaluative procedures and methods were used to ascertain the effectiveness of the outdoor educational curriculum? Eleven annotations address the first question, 13 address the second, and 12 address the third. The summary points out trends in findings of the annotated works. The conclusion attempts to answer each of the three organizing questions, noting lack of consensus on the question of outdoor education's impact on the cognitive domain, general agreement that outdoor education promotes affective development, and lack of standard ways to evaluate outdoor curriculum. Five recommendations for further research include expansion of outdoor education programs, inclusion of clear and definable objectives to accompany outdoor curriculum, and more research to study the impact of outdoor education on the cognitive domain. A four-page bibliography concludes the document. (JHZ)